The Kings XI Punjab were unarguably fiercest out of all the eight Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises when they sat in the bidding battle that unfolded in the IPL player auction 2018. It’s not that Punjab outfit hasn’t had a decent setup in the previous editions of the biggest T20 league in the world but their big guns have always failed them when it came to delivering. This year owner Preity Zinta along with team’s mentor Virender Sehwag came with a plan which she was able to execute fairly thanks to the budget advantage they had compared to the other teams. The team has not been able to hit its prime in the last few seasons and is yet to lift the title but this time around with the great pool of players that they have picked in the recently concluded auctions they will aim to change things around.
Despite losing out on a majority of their favourite players on the first day of the auction, Punjab managed to get Ravichandran Ashwin for a whopping Rs 7.6 crore, the ace spinner is likely to spearhead Punjab’s spin attack and is also a stronger contender for leadership. He was highly sought after with more than three teams tussling in the bidding war but Punjab looked determined on landing the experienced Tamil Nadu off spin genius who will be certainly missed by Chennai Super Kings who found his replacement in veteran Harbhajan Singh. Punjab also roped in decent batting power at their disposal with the likes of KL Rahul, Yuvraj Singh, Manoj Tiwary and Karun Nair. They added further fire to the unit by retaining David Miller and Marcus Stoinis. The acquisition of Aaron Finch is likely to provide them with explosive options upfront.
Towards the end of the auction, they pulled off a master-stroke by getting Chris Gayle, who can run havoc pairing up with Finch at top but his consistency would be a worry for Punjab who have over the years not managed to ace a brilliant opening pair which is the reason why they have never managed to get past the semi-finals in the history of the competition. The all-rounders’ department also doesn’t look bright with Stoinis and Axar Patel the only prominent names in the fray. But their bowling which looked like an unfulfilled slot by the end of the day one auction was revitalised on day 2 with the franchise getting pacers Barinder Sran, Andrew Tye and Mohit Sharma. They also added an extra quality spinner by picking up Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Zadran for Rs 4 crore.
Not to forget, Punjab has failed to retain the core by letting go of the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Murali Vijay, Sandeep Sharma and Shaun Marsh who had been an integral part of the setup. However, they invested freshly on a balanced mix of Indian and overseas talents which make them look a title challenging outfit. The lack of a wicket-keeping back-up can also be an issue for Punjab in the later stages of the gruelling competition. KL Rahul who has not worn the gloves for quite a while will have to return back behind the stumps and don the job for his new side.
Here’s how the Kings XI Punjab fared in the IPL Player auction:
Strengths: Punjab’s major strength will definitely be its formidable batting line-up. The top order and the middle order possess hefty Indian and overseas batting talents. Chris Gayle can pair up with Finch or KL Rahul to open the attack followed by the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Manoj Tiwary, Karun Nair and David Miller. They also have two capped Indian spinners who can put them at advantage in the sub-continent conditions. The batting line up is strong enough to dispatch any bowling on their day. Chris Gayle has been in a phenomenal touch since past few months and the West Indies giant would be looking forward to showing his might once again in the competition.
Apart from gathering a good batting unit, KXIP has also managed to form a decent bowling unit. They have Indian fast bowling options in Mohit Sharma, Barinder Sran and overseas pace in Andrew Tye and Marcus Stoinis. With Ashwin, Axar, Ankit Rajpoot and Yuvraj, the spin attack looks promising as well.
Weaknesses: The lack of a specialist wicket-keeper can cost Kings XI Punjab more than they would expect. KL Rahul has previously kept the wickets for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL and can do the job for Punjab if asked but an injury scare will put the team management in dilemma.
Punjab also will have to embrace a selection headache every time they pick their eleven with balance as the agenda in their mind. They can only play four foreigners and if opt to go with openers in Gayle and Finch, they would have to sacrifice a Miller in the middle or a bowler. Miller being a retention is likely to feature in every game. So the selection dilemma remains a concern for Punjab.
Smart pick: Chris Gayle at Rs 2 crore can be the game changer for Punjab. The giant West Indian can on his day single-handedly win the match for you. He was not picked by any of the franchises until Punjab played a gamble and decided to go for the T20 superstar who has previously made his presence felt in the competition with the bat and also holds the record for the highest individual score of 175 in the tournament. Gayle is already exciting to join the other Punjabis in the dugout and has posted videos on social media showcasing his bhangra skills. Expect fireworks when he takes the pitch for Kings XI Punjab.
Kings XI Punjab: Axar Patel (retained 12.5 crore), R Ashwin (7.6 c), Yuvraj Singh (2 c), Karun Nair (5.6 c), KL Rahul (11 c), David Miller (3 c), Aaron Finch (6.2 c), Marcus Stoinis (6.2 c), Mayank Agarwal (1 c), Ankit Rajpoot (3 c), Manoj Tiwary (1 Cr), Mohit Sharma (2.4 Cr RTM), Mujeeb Zadran (4 Cr), Barinder Sran (2.2 Cr), Andrew Tye (7.2 Cr), Akshdeep Nath (1 Cr), Ben Dwarshius (1.4 Cr), Pardeep Sahu (20L), Mayank Dagar (20L), Chris Gayle (2 Cr), Manzoor Dar (20 L)